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Aftercare Do's & Don'ts

The following is provided as a standard of care for any tattoo. Aftercare can vary slightly based on the location, size, and healing method of your tattoo. For anything not listed below, give us a call or reach out to your artist directly for specific aftercare issues.

After your session, you'll leave wearing a bandage over your fresh tattoo - it will be a black dry lock pad, plastic wrap/cellophane, OR a medical film.  To ensure your tattoos are properly, thoroughly healed, please read this care info section completely.

Traditional Aftercare

Care Instructions: ​

  1. Remove the bandage after 1-4 hours at home. 

  2. Gently wash with warm water and fragrance free antibacterial soap 3 times daily for 2-4 weeks. We recommend Dial Gold Liquid soap. Wash with your hands only. Do not use a scrub brush, washcloth, or anything abrasive.

  3. Pat dry with a paper towel and let air dry for 10-15 minutes - avoid having anything touch or rub against your tattoo.

  4. Gently apply a thin layer of an antibacterial ointment (Aquaphor, bacitracin, etc) twice daily for 3 days. Thick or over-application will suffocate and clog your tattoo. 

  5. After the third day, switch to a small amount of high quality fragrance free lotion (Lubriderm, Eucerin, pure cocoa butter, After Inked, etc) for the duration of the healing process. Each time you apply lotion, your tattoo should be gently washed with antibacterial soap and air dried. 


Do's and Don'ts:

  • Avoid pools, hot tubs, beaches, suntanning, excessive outdoor activities, water exposure for a minimum of 2 weeks. 

  • DO NOT PICK, SCRATCH, OR PEEL your new tattoo during the healing process. If a scab forms DO NOT try to pull it off; allow it to fall off naturally.

  • DO NOT ITCH your tattoo. If your tattoo is itching, wash it gently with antibacterial soap and reapply a thin amount of lotion to soothe it. 

  • DO NOT TOUCH your tattoo with dirty hands. Do not allow anyone else to touch your tattoo.

  • Wear clean, loose clothing around the tattooed area to limit friction. 

Transparent Medical Film

The transparent film dressing (SaniDerm, TegaDerm, DermShield, etc..) is a breathable, flexible barrier film designed to be worn for multiple days. The film bandage will lock in your body's natural healing fluids and enzymes, keeping your new tattoo hydrated and aiding the healing process.

 

Care Instructions:

  1. You will leave the shop with a clear medical film applied by your artist which should remain on for 24 hours . You may shower with it on, however we recommend only hand-washing near the edges of the film area to avoid disturbing the seal.

  2. Removing the barrier film: grab a corner and gently, slowly peel in the direction of hair growth.We strongly recommend removing the film while in the shower to easily clean up the residual plasma, and the warm water will help loosen the adhesive making it more comfortable to take off. 

  3. To reapply a new medical film gently wash your tattoo with fragrance free liquid antibacterial soap. Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Reapply the new film which should remain on for 3-5 days unless otherwise specified by your artist.

  4. After removing the last round of film, switch to a small amount of high quality fragrance free lotion (Lubriderm, Eucerin, pure cocoa butter, etc) for the duration of the healing process. Each time you apply lotion, your tattoo should first be gently washed with antibacterial soap, and air-dried or gently pat-dried.

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Do's and Don'ts:

  • Your film dressing does not protect from the sun. Avoid direct sunlight, any kind of rough treatment, pools, hot tubs, beaches, suntanning, excessive outdoor activities for a minimum of 2 weeks. 

  • After the film is removed do not pick, scratch, or peel your new tattoo.

  • If your film is removed prematurely, follow traditional aftercare instructions.

  • Avoid activities which would make you sweat excessively. If it is unavoidable, speak to your artist about how frequently to change the film.

  • Due to the fluid build-up underneath the film, a 'bubble' may form that looks inky or blotchy - this is normal. However, if ink or fluid is leaking out from the side of the film, the seal has been compromised -  it should be removed and a new patch should be applied. 

Hey, y'all. Can we be frank? Your friends are surely fabulous & supportive people, but please do not use their personal recommendations for healing your tattoo. You can risk damaging your tattoo or causing an infection if alternative methods are used. Our cover-up specialists have seen the results of the well-meaning friend; our instructions are tried & true. If you have a personal healing regiment which differs from the instructions above and has worked for you in the past,  please discuss them with your artist as necessary.
 

We guarantee our work & provide a free touch-up within one year of the original tattoo assuming the tattoo was properly cared for. Certain exceptions apply to touch-ups, which include but not are limited to: palms, hands, fingers, feet, white tattoos, etc. 

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